Off the Pitch

Bundesliga players and clubs are letting the world know they stand with George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement.

The biggest soccer league currently in action amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Bundesliga has seen a number of statements in support of the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, perhaps none more prominent than what happened before Borussia Dortmund hosted Hertha Berlin on Saturday. The teams took a knee in a dramatic show of solidarity on the 12th day of protests over the murder of Floyd. 

BUCHAREST — A Universitatea Cluj fan was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for trying to kill a police officer during a Romanian first division relegation playoff match last year.

Vidrean Ovidiu Traian was found guilty of attempted murder after he hit the policeman over the head with a seat, leaving him unconscious and covered in blood, during the game in June against AFC Hermannstadt at the Cluj Arena.

The incident took place amid clashes between Universitatea supporters and police with fans throwing seats, stones and other objects at the officers.

BERLIN, June 5 (Reuters) - Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho and Manuel Akanji were fined an unspecified amount by the German Football League (DFL) on Friday for failing to wear face masks during a visit from a hair dresser.

The DFL said both players had broken the health guidelines that have governed Bundesliga clubs and players since the league restarted amid the COVID-19 pandemic on May 16.

Six Dortmund players, including England international Sancho and Akanji, got their hair cut by the hairdresser who then asked some of them to take pictures with him.

LONDON — The Premier League's planned restart on June 17 received a further boost on Saturday when the latest batch of novel coronavirus tests produced no positive results.

The tests were carried out on Thursday and Friday.

"The Premier League can today confirm that on Thursday 28 May and Friday 29 May, 1,130 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19. Of these, zero have tested positive," the league said in a statement.

In the three previous rounds of testing since players resumed training there were 12 positives.

The MLS expansion club in Charlotte will reveal its name in June, team president Tom Glick said.

Glick declined to specify an exact date in an interview published Friday by the Sports Business Journal.

"This is a very important moment in the formation of our new club for the city and for the region," Glick said. "We've been monitoring and thinking about when the right time to introduce it would be. What's clear to us right now is not only is there a hunger for the return of sport and watching sport, there's a hunger and anticipation for this moment for this new club."

Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kanté is prepared to sit out the remainder of the Premier League season, if it resumes, after expressing concerns over returning to training, British media have reported.